1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus and method, a recording medium and a program, and more particularly relates to an imaging apparatus and method, a recording medium and a program, which are capable of focusing at any subject positioned inside an imaging field by enabling selection of a focused position.
2. Description of Related Art
An imaging apparatus having an automatic focusing mechanism, which is referred to as an auto-focus, is well-known to public.
The automatic focusing mechanism performs focusing operation to achieve a focus state by analyzing high frequency component of a signal for a captured image, detecting sharpness of the captured image, and controlling a position of a focus lens such that the high frequency component becomes maximum or local maximum. In other words, the automatic focusing mechanism controls the focusing at a subject image by using property such that the high frequency component in the image signal is increased since the image signal changes sharply at an edge of the subject image if the subject is in focus, and by adjusting positions of optical parts such as the focus lens and the like so that the high frequency component becomes maximum.
Further, Japanese Patent Publication JP 07-74856 discloses an automatic focus arranging method. In this method, an objective lens or a sample is moved from a sufficiently near focus point to a sufficiently remote focus point for capturing a still image while storing a position of the maximum contrast obtained within a range of this movement, and the focusing is performed by adjusting a distance between an subject and the objective lens in such a way that the contrast of the subject image becomes the maximum.